Kevin Keatts was dismissed Sunday as head coach at North Carolina State, a year after leading his team on a magical run to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament.
In a statement, athletic director Boo Corrigan said a national search for Keatts’ successor would begin immediately.
“I want to thank Coach Keatts for his contributions to NC State and for always representing the university with class,” Corrigan said. “He will always have a treasured place in Wolfpack history for the accomplishments of his 2023-24 squad and I appreciate the passion he brought to this role. We wish him and his family the best in the future.”
The Wolfpack won five consecutive games, beating top-15 teams Duke and North Carolina on the way, to capture the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament last spring and qualify for the NCAA Tournament. As an 11 seed, Keatts’ team defeated Texas Tech, Oakland, Marquette and Duke to reach the national semifinal round, where it lost to Purdue, 63-50.
It was the first Final Four for NC State since the Jim Valvano-led Wolfpack won the championship in 1983.
Keatts, 52, spent eight seasons at the helm in Raleigh, compiling a 151-113 record, 69-84 in ACC play. The Wolfpack made three NCAA Tournament bids in the Keatts era and won at least 20 games five times.
In a local social media post Sunday, Keatts reminisced on where the program stood when he took over from former coach Mark Gottfried and contrasted where it stands today, with his tone making it clear he didn’t agree with Corrigan’s decision to fire him.
“I am extremely proud of what we accomplished during my time here,” he posted to X. “Prior to my first season, the NCAA informed us that we were being investigated due to the actions of the prior staff. We were able to guide the program through five years of investigations and penalties and came out on the other side with back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, and for the first time in 37 and 40 years, an ACC Championship and trip to the Final Four.
“As we enter this new era of college sports, I wholeheartedly believe that I am leaving the program in better position to succeed than when I started — and that the basketball program will continue to thrive when supported necessary to the level to compete.”
The Wolfpack lost 72-70 at Miami on Saturday to finish the season with a 12-19 (5-15 ACC) record. They did not qualify for the conference tournament, which begins Tuesday in Charlotte.
ESPN identified VCU’s Ryan Odom and McNeese’s Will Wade, formerly the head coach at LSU, as candidates to replace Keatts.
–Field Level Media
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